Perpetual calendar

ABSTRACT

A truncated-conical member, formed by a plurality of juxtaposed overlapping wall members, supports, at their upper limit, a color coded member and a plurality of cylinders and disks having calendar data thereon. An opening, provded in the outer frame wall, exposes calendar data of a particular month printed on inner walls of the frame when the walls are selectively positioned.

United States Patent [191 Spicer' I I 41 PERPETUAL CALENDAR FOREIGNPATENTS OR APPLICATIONS 280,004 11/1927GreatBritain.,......,...............40/111 996,015 10/1951France.............,..........;..... 40/111 [22] Filed:

Primary Examiner-Robert W. Michell Assistant Examiner-J. H. WolffAtt0rney+Robert K. Rhea T C A R T S B A n r 1 nmn 5 mun GM G s ".7 l Nmmr, mm m en C WM 1 3m U.mF HUM 55w A truncated-conical member, formedby a plurality of juxtaposed overlapping wall members, supports, at

- their upper limit, a color coded member and a plural- [56] ReferencesCited ity of cylinders and disks having calendar data UNITED STATESPATENTS thereon. An opening, provded in the outer frame wall,

exposes calendar data of a particular month printed on innerwalls oftheframe when the walls are selectively positioned.

10/1972 Spicer...... 9/1971 Robinson. 615,221 11/1898 Irwin et a12,006,485 I 7/1935 2,073,275 3/1937 4 Claims, 13 Drawing Figures SegalElberg......

PATENTED BUT I 8 I973 SHEET 2 UF 4 PATENIEB 01:1 1 6191s I sum 3 or 4PATENTEUBBTIBW 3.785.111

SHEET 1 BF 4 PERPETUAL CALENDAR BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION 1. Field ofthe Invention The present invention relates to calendars and moreparticularly to a desk type calendar device having calendar forming dataprinted thereon to form a perpetual calendar.

Many perpetual type reference calendars have been proposed, some ofwhich have appeared in publications arranged in columnar or chart formfor determining calendar datesof past or future years, however, most ofthese chart-like calendars are of limited range and are not relativelyeasily used. In using such calendars it is usually necessary to followlines or columns in order to match data a plurality of times frequentlyresulting in errors as well as being a tedious procedure. This crossreferencing of information, which may not be readily available, hasprevented this type of calendar from being generally accepted.

The present invention eliminates the inconvenience of not having suchcalendar data readily available and eliminates matching cross referencedata by incorporating calendar information on a plurality of overlappingtruncated-conical walls concentrically supporting calendar code and datacontaining members including a plurality of superposed disk membersconnected with upstanding substantially cylindrical members.

2. Description of the Prior Art U.S. Pat. No. 1,940,859 discloses a 200year calendar having years of centuries printed on a disk underlying acoversheet and rotatably supported thereby with windows in the coversheet indicating which of a plurality of master calendars are to be usedfor a particular year. U.S. Pat. No. 2,788,595 discloses a mastercalendar printed on the front of a container having windows in its frontexposing years or centuries and positioning daysof the week over themaster calendar by selective {frame which concentrically supports acolor code ring indicating years in response to the setting ofconcentrically supported disks having decade and century informationprinted thereon, wherein any selected year and I month, of that year maybe found by a selected setting of the components forming the deskcalendar with the I selected month visible through an opening in theouter wall of the calendar frame.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION A truncated-conical frame is formed byintermediate and outer overlapping wall members rotatable relative toeach other and aninner frame wall about a vertical axis. The wallmembers concentrically support a ring member having a repeating seriesof seven colors circumferentially printed thereon. A plurality ofjuxtaposed disks are concentrically supported by the frame and havecalendar data printed thereon. Upstanding inner and outer cylindricalmembers, respectively connected with a pair of the disks, coaxiallyreceive a bolt joining the disks and cylindrical members and supportyear indicating dials at its uppermost end. Calendar months printed onthe innermost wall are exposed by an opening in the intermediate wallsimultaneously exposing the days of a selected month, forming a part ofa repeating series of seven numerals arranged in columnar form printedon the outer surface of the intermediate wall, through a calendar windowformed in the outer wall. Thus, any selected decade and year of anycentury of any millennium may be found by selective rotation of thedisks and cylindrical members in combination with the color code withthe days of a desired month of a year exposed through the window in theouter wall.

The principal object of this invention is to provide a compact desk toptype frame structure having perpetual calendar indicia printed oncertain of its components wherein the components may be rotated relativeto each other to reveal calendar data of a particular month of selectedyear.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS FIG. l is a perspective view of thedevice;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary vertical cross-sectional view takensubstantially along the line 2-2 of FIG. 1;

FIG. 3 is a top view, partially in section, looking in the direction ofthe arrows 3-3 of FIG. 2;

FIG. 4 is a view similar to FIG. 3 with the depending walls and othercomponents removed for clarity;

FIG. 5 is a development plan view of an endless truncated-conical wallforming member containing calendar month data;

FIG. 6 is a top view of a disk containing year digits for two decades;

FIG. 7 is a perspective view of components for locating calendar datesof a Julian calendar assembled with a Julian-Gregorianmillennium-century digital unit;

FIG. 8 is a fragmentary plan view of the outer cylindrical wall of FIG.7 containing Gregorian century data;

FIG. 9 is a plan view, partially in section, of the upper disk showninFIG. 7;

FIG. 10 is a development plan view similar to FIG. 8 illustrating theJulian-Gregorian millennium calendar data;

FIG. llll is a perspective view'of one component containing decadedigits of. calendar years coaxially supported by the components of FIG.7;

FIG. 12 is a top view of FIG. 11; and,

FIG. 13 is a vertical cross-sectional view taken substantially along theline 13-13 of FIG. 5.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENT Like characters of referencedesignate like parts in those figures of the drawings in which theyoccur.

In the drawings:

Referring more particularly to FIGS. 1 to 5, the reference numeral 20indicates the device, as a whole, which is substantiallytruncated-conical in general appearance comprising a base portion 22 andcoaxial upstanding cylindrical members 2% supporting a set of yearindicating dials 26. The base portion 22 is formed by a frame 28characterized by a horizontally disposed centrally apertured plateportion 30 having an integral downwardly and outwardly diverging wall32. The depending outer surface portion of the wall 32 is provided witha circumferential recess forming an outwardly directed surface 34 onwhich the abreviated names of the calendar months of a year are printedin selected radially spaced relation (FIG. 4). An endless band-liketruncated-concical shaped intermediate wall 36 contiguously overlaps theframe wall 32 in rotating sliding contact in its wall recess forming thesurface 34 while the depending edge portion of the wall 36 is integrallyenlarged to form a base support, as at 38. The base 38 is provided withan upwardly open recess 40 for the purposes presently explained.

The intermediate wall 36 may be formed, as shown in the plan view ofFIG. 5, wherein a portion of one of its ends is provided with adhesivematerial 42 for joining this end portion to the opposite end portion 44to form the endless configuration of the intermediate wall. Obviouslythe ends may be joined by bonding in end to end abutting relation ratherthan overlapping, if preferred. The intermediate wall 36 forms acalendar month band or wall and has printed thereon a repeating seriesof calendar indicia comprising days of the month arranged in columnarform with the columns radially spaced-apart so that any two adjacentnumerals in each column differ by seven. In the example shown, thecalendar wall 36 contains five repeating series of month formingcalendar indicia. The calendar wall is further provided in its uppermostedge portion 46 with a plurality, four in the example shown, ofrectangularshaped slots 48 open to its upper edge and in overlyingrelation with respect to the outer surface 34 of the frame wall 32 sothat any one of the slots 48, respectively, expose a selected one of themonth names printed on the frame wall surface 34 by rotation of thecalendar wall 36 about the axis of the frame 28, as hereinafterexplained.

An outer wall or shield 50, substantially truncatedconical in generalconfiguration, overlies the outer surface of the calendar wall 36 and isrotatably slidable relative thereto with its downwardly directed edge 52frictionally engaged within the base recess 49. The shield 50 isprovided with an opening or window 53 dimensioned for exposing thecalendar indicia or numerals indicating the days of a month. Lettersindicating the days of a week are printed in any selected order on theouter surface of the shield 50 between the upper limit of the window 53and the upper edge of the shield with the radial spacing between theseletters coinciding with the spacing between the columns of calendar dataforming month days. A week day centering indicator 55 is positionedabove the center letter, for example the letter W, as a key inpositioning the shield 50.

A lug or stop 54 (FIG. 13), cylindrical in shape, and having a length atleast equal to the thickness of the recessed portion of the frame wall32, is formed on the inwardly disposed surface of the calendar wall 36at a selected location for limiting rotative movement of the calendarwall with respect to the frame wall 32. A portion of the periphery ofthe stop 54 contacts a depending edge surface 56 extending through aselected are of the periphery of the frame wall 32 horizontally disposedabove the remaining depending edge 58 of the frame wall (FIGS. 2 and 4)thus limiting rotative movement of the calendar wall 36 relative to theframe 28 to the arc defined by end limits of the frame depending walledge 56.

A color code ring 60 overlies the frame 28. The color code ring isprovided with a central opening 62 diametrically slightly smaller thanthe horizontal plate portion 30 of the frame thus forming the ring-likewall having an upper arcuate portion, as at 63, and a depending wallportion 64, contiguously overlying the outer surface of the frame abovethe frame recess forming the month name surface 34. The color code ring60 is fixed or secured to the frame 28 by a plurality, three in theexample shown, of bolts or screws 66 projecting upwardly through theframe and the color code ring in radial unequal spaced relation andsecured by wing nuts and springs 68 surrounding the respective screw 66.The outward and upwardly disposed surfaces of the color code ring isradially divided to form a plurality of equal area circumferentialsections with each of these sections being printed or colored with aselected color to form a calendar year code. The colors comprise arepeating series of seven colors, such as purple, blue, green, yellow,orange, red and black, in that order, extending counterclockwise inendless fashion around the color code ring so that a repeating series offive of the seven colors occupies the outer peripheral surface of thecolor code ring. Every fifth color block extends inwardly beyond thelimit of the other color blocks to the edge of the color code ringforming the opening 62. The depending edge surface of the color codering is provided with a plurality of relatively small lugs 67cooperatively nested by a like plurality of recesses formed in theupwardly directed edge of the shield 50 for increasing the frictionalresistance between the color code ring 60 and the shield 50. This alsoassures accurate positioning of the shield month indicator 55 with theproper color block.

Referring also to the remaining Figures, an upwardly open verticallydisposed cylindrical tube 70 projects coaxially through the centralopening of the frame 28 and is coaxially secured at its depending end toa centrally apertured disk '72 contiguously contacting the dependingsurface of the frame plate 30 and underlying the head of the respectivescrew 66. The outer surface of the cylinder 70 has numerals printedthereon indicating millenniums of the Julian calendar arranged insubstantially horizontal rows (FIG. 10) with the vertical rowarrangement of these indicia indicating millenniums of the Gregoriancalendar. A casing 74 coaxially surrounds the cylinder 70 and isprovided with a centrally apertured diametrically reduced upper endportion for coaxially receiving a bolt 78, or the like, with its headunderlying the disk 72. The depending end of the casing is provided witha coaxial flange 82 overlying and diametrically slightly smaller thanthe upper surface of the frame plate 30.

The upper surface of the flange 82 has printed thereon indiciaindicating centuries of the Julian calendar (FIG. 9). An arc of theperiphery of the flange 82 is diametrically reduced, as at 83, forlimiting its rotative movement as hereinafter explained.

Adjacent its juncture with the flange 82, the casing outer wall surfaceis also provided with indicia printed thereon indicating centuries.

An elongated rectangular slot 84 is formed in the wall of the casing 74%adjacent its uppermost end for exposing the millennium indicatingindicia printed on the surface of the cylinder 70 as the casing isrotated relative to the cylinder. A relatively short tube 36 coaxiallyand rotatably surrounds the depending end portion of the casing 74 andis integrally connected with a decade disk 88 flatly overlying anddiametrically substantially equal with the flange 82. The decade disk 88also has indicia printed thereon, comprising the numerals I through 0,in selected spaced-apart relation for indicating a decade as hereinafterexplained. The decade 88 is provided with an aperture 90 for exposingindicia printed on the upper surface of the flange 82. Similarly thedecade disk 88 is also provided with a diametrically reduced arc portion89 coinciding with the are 83 of the flange 82. The wall of the shorttube 86 is provided with a vertically disposed rectangular slot oropening 92 for exposing Gregorian calendar indicia printed on theperiphery of the casing 74.

A centrally apertured, preferably transparent, year disk 94,diametrically substantially equal with respect to the diameter of thedecade disk 88, overlies the latter with its central aperture 96 looselysurrounding the periphery of the depending portion of the short tube 86.

The upper surface of the transparent disk 94 has the major portion ofits periphery divided or scored by radial lines forming spacescoinciding with a like plurality of the position of the colored blockson the color code ring 60 with these respective spaces imprinted withindicia comprising two repeating series of numerals l throughO arrangedin counterclockwise relation indicating year digits for 2 decades. Thisdisk 94 is provided with a substantially circular scored line 98 at thebeginning of one of the series of indicia which is placed in registerwith the decade being used, for example the numeral 7 enclosed by thescored ellipse 100 on the flange 82, thus indicating the present decadeor era of the years beginning with the numeral 7.

The position of the cylinder 70 and its flange 82, the casing 74 and itsdisk 88 are maintained in selected fixed position by a recycle screw 102projecting upwardly through the cylinder connected plate 72, frame plate30 and in sliding contact with the peripheral arc surfaces 83 and 89 ofthe flange 82 and disk 88, respectively, thus limiting rotation of theflange 82 and disk 88 to the length of the arcs 83 and 89.

As shown in FIG. 4, the frame plate 30 is provided with a plurality,seven in the example shown, of openingsl04 in equal radially spacedrelation coinciding with the seven color blocks extending inwardly ofthe color code ring for receiving the recycle screw 102- and positioningthe tube 70 and casing 74 in proper position relative to the color codering 60 and other decade settings of the calendar.

The bolt 78 is threadedly connected with the calen dar year dial member26 by its horizontally disposed central rod member 106. The calendardial member is substantially conventional, having two pairs of rotatabledials 108 and 110, respectively, coaxially connected with the respectiveends of the rod 106 and rotatable about'the axis thereof. Theperipheries of the dials each contain a series of numerals, such as lthrough 0, for indicating the present or a selected year thereon. Amajor portion of each pair of dials is shielded from view by asurrounding flange 112 each having a slot-like opening 114 for exposingthe selected numerals.

As an aid to the user a plurality of color codes, not shown, forselected decades of a century may be printed as a key and attached tothe inner surface of the calendar wall 36.

OPERATlON In the example shown by FIG. 1, the calendar is set for theleap year 2,000 and the month of January for that year with the presentera in time comprising the area 98 of the year digits disk 92 alignedwith the color block lines for red. The shield 50 has been rotatedrelative to the month code ring 60 so that its indicator 55 is alignedwith the color black which is the color for this leap year January.Succeeding months of this leap year are located by rotating the calendarwall 36 relative to the frame 28 so that the month slot 48 exposes thenext or succeeding month, then the shield 50 is rotated relative to thecalendar wall 36 to expose the indicia indicating the days of the monthaligning with the color red. During a leap year when 29 days arerequired for the month of February and initial rotation in acounterclockwise direction of the shield 50 does not expose a 29 daycalendar month the numeral 29 and arrow 107, printed on the calendarwall, indicates that further movement in the same counterclockwisedirection is necessary for exposing the February leap year month.Non-leap years use one color for all twelve months.

For obtaining the setting of the calendar for any selected date, thedesired millennium of years is first obtained by rotating the casing T2about the cylinder until that millennium, in combination with numeralson the wall of the cylinder 70, is exposed in the opening 84 and thethree zeros printed on the outer surface of the casing, equals themillennium.

In the event the desired period in time is not within the present era,either past or future, the recycle screw 102 must be manually retractedout of contact with the flange and disk arcs 83 and 89 and reinsertedthrough one of the frame plate openings MM aligned with the new positionof the arcs 83 and 89 relative to the frame 28.

The short tube 86 is then rotated until its window 92 exposes thecentury years in combination with the two zeros printed on the peripheryof the tube 86. The year disk 94 is then positioned so its scored area98 is aligned with the decade disk opening which positions the tworepeating series of numerals on the year disk 94 so that their digitscorrespond with a like plurality of the color code blocks on the colorcode ring 60 thus indicating the color'code for any selected year of 2decades-Thereafter, the calendar wall 36 is rotated to expose theselected month name of the year and the shield 50 is rotated relative tothe calendar wall 36 so that its indicator 55 is aligned with thepreviously found color code for the year while simultaneously exposingthe name of the month through the calendar wall opening 48 and exposingthe days indicating the month arranged in the sequence of the days forthat month or, in other words, the first of the month being arrangedvertically under the proper day of the week as shown on the outersurface of the shield.

Obviously the invention is susceptible to changes or alterations withoutdefeating its practicability, therefore, I do not wish to be confined tothe preferred embodiment shown in the drawings and described herein.

l claim:

ll. A desk top perpetual calendar, comprising:

a frame having a horizontally disposed central plate portion secured toa depending truncated conical wall along its smaller diameter, saidframe well having an outer surface, the outer surface of said frame wallhaving indicia printed thereon in radially spaced relation indicatingmonths of the year;

an intermediate truncated conical wall juxtaposed over a portion of theouter surface of said frame wall and matingly rotatably thereon in aself centering relation, said intermediate wall having an outer surfaceand slots along its upwardly directed smaller edge portion so as toselectively expose month indicia disposed therebelow on said frame wall,the outer surface of said intermediate wall having a repeating series ofnumerals representing days of the month printed thereon in spiralingradially spaced parallel rows and so arranged that any two adjacentnumerals in adjourning rows differ by seven; truncated conical shieldoverlying said intermediate wall and matingly rotatable thereon in aselfcentering relation,

said shield having a a rectangular aperture therein exposing the dayscomprising monthly calendar imprinted therebelow on said intermediatewall and simultaneously exposing one of the month exposing slots in saidintermediate wall,

said shield having indicia printed thereon along a horizontal edge ofsaid aperture indicating days of the week, said day indicia being sospaced as to align in cooperating relation with respect to the spacingbetween the parallel rows of the repeating series of numerals on saidintermediate wall;

a cylinder coaxially supported vertically by said frame plate, saidcylinder having mellennium indicia printed on its outer surface invertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically alignedradially spaced relations:

a casing having means for rotatably surrounding said cylinder, saidcasing having century indicating indicia printed on its outer surface invertically spaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically alignedradially spaced relation and having a window formed in its wall exposingthe indicia on said sylinder as said casing is rotated relative to saidcylinder;

a flange secured to the depending end of said casing and overlying saidframe plate,

said flange having year indicating indicia printed on its upper surfacein radially relation;

a tube rotatably surrounding the depending end portion of said casing,

' said tube having an aperture in its wall exposing century indicatingindicia on said casing as said tube is rotated relative to said casing;

a decade disk coaxially secured to the depending end of said tube andoverlying said flange,

said decade disk having indicia printed on its upper surface in radiallyspaced relation indicating the last digit of each year of a decade,

said decade disk having an aperture exposing one of the year indiciaprinted on said flange; and,

a transparent year disk surrounding said tube in rotatable overlyingrelation with respect to said decade disk, said year disk having anopening mating and mismating with the aperture in said decade disk, saidyear disk being radially divided throughout a portion of its peripheryin equal radially spaced relation with respect to the spacing of themonth code, each division of said year disk being assigned a valuecorresponding with the last digit of a year for two decades and beingarranged in a repeating series.

2. The perpetual calendar according to claim 1 and further including:

a calendar month code ring overlying and supported by said frame, theupper surface of said ring being radially divided and overprinted toform a repeating series of seven colors whereby each color indicates acolor code for one year.

3. The perpetual calendar according to claim 2 and further including:

a cylinder disk coaxially secured to said cylinder in underlyingrelation with respect to said frame plate; a recycle screw threadedlyextending vertically through a peripheral portion of said cylinder disk,said frame plate having a circular row of radially spaced openingscoinciding with the inner limit of the radial position of every fifthone of said month code colors and the path of travel of travel of saidrecycle screw when said cylinder disk is rotated relative to said frameplate,

said flange and said decade disk each having a recess cooperativelyformed in its periphery and extending through an arc of less than 180for receiving the upwardly directed end portion of said recycle screwand limiting rotative movement of said flange and said disk relative tosaid frame to the are defined by the end limits of the recesses.

4. The perpetual calendar according to claim 3 and further including:

a stop secured to the inwardly disposed surface of said intermediatewall, said frame wall having a horizontal recess formed in its dependingsurface and extending through an arc of not more than for receiving saidstop'and limiting the rotative movement of said intermediate wall withrespect to said frame.

i t i 1

1. A desk top perpetual calendar, comprising: a frame having ahorizontally disposed central plate portion secured to a dependingtruncated conical wall along its smaller diameter, said frame wellhaving an outer surface, the outer surface of said frame wall havingindicia printed thereon in radially spaced relation indicating months ofthe year; an intermediate truncated conical wall juxtaposed over aportion of the outer surface of said frame wall and matingly rotatablythereon in a self centering relation, said intermediate wall having anouter surface and slots along its upwardly directed smaller edge portionso as to selectively expose month indicia disposed therebelow on saidframe wall, the outer surface of said intermediate wall having arepeating series of numerals representing days of the month printedthereon in spiraling radially spaced parallel rows and so arranged thatany two adjacent numerals in adjourning rows differ by seven; atruncated conical shield overlying said intermediate wall and matinglyrotatable thereon in a self-centering relation, said shield having a arectangular aperture therein exposing the days comprising monthlycalendar imprinted therebelow on said intermediate wall andsimultaneously exposing one of the month exposing slots in saidintermediate wall, said shield having indicia printed thereon along ahorizontal edge of said aperture indicating days of the week, said dayindicia being so spaced as to align in cooperating relation with respectto the spacing between the parallel rows of the repeating series ofnumerals on said intermediate wall; a cylinder coaxially supportedvertically by said frame plate, said cylinder having mellennium indiciaprinted on its outer surface in vertically spaced horizontal rowsarranged in vertically aligned radially spaced relations: a casinghaving means for rotatably surrounding said cylinder, said casing havingcentury indicating indicia printed on its outer surface in verticallyspaced horizontal rows arranged in vertically aligned radially spacedrelation and having a window formed in its wall exposing the indicia onsaid sylinder as said casing is rotated relative to said cylinder; aflange secured to the depending end of said casing and overlying saidframe plate, said flange having year indicating indicia printed on itsupper surface in radially relation; a tube rotatably surrounding thedepending end portion of said casing, said tube having an aperture inits wall exposing century indicating indicia on said casing as said tubeis rotated relative to said casing; a decade disk coaxially secured tothe depending end of said tube and overlying said flange, said decadedisk having indicia printed on its upper surface in radially spacedrelation indicating the last digit of each year of a decade, said decadedisk having an aperture exposing one of the year indicia printed on saidflange; and, a transparent year disk surrounding said tube in rotatableoverlying relation with respect to said decade disk, said year diskhaving an opening mating and mismating with the aperture in said decadedisk, said year disk being radially divided throughout a portion of itsperiphery in equal radially spaced relation with respect to the spacingof the month code, each division of said year disk being assigned avalue corresponding with the last digit of a year for two decades andbeing arranged in a repeating series.
 2. The perpetual calendaraccording to claim 1 and further including: a calendar month code ringoverlying and supported by said frame, the upper surface of said ringbeing radially divided and overprinted to form a repeating series ofseven colors whereby each color indicates a color code for one year. 3.The perpetual calendar according to claim 2 and further including: acylinder disk coaxially secured to said cylinder in underlying relationwith respect to said frame plate; a recycle screw threadedly extendingvertically through a peripheral portion of said cylinder disk, saidframe plate having a circular row of radially spaced openings coincidingwith the inner limit of the radial position of every fifth one of saidmonth code colors and the path of travel of travel of said recycle screwwhen said cylinder disk is rotated relative to said frame plate, saidflange and said decade disk each having a recess cooperatively formed inits periphery and extending through an arc of less than 180* forreceiving the upwardly directed end portion of said recycle screw andlimiting rotative movement of said flange and said disk relative to saidframe to the arc defined by the end limits of the recesses.
 4. Theperpetual calendar according to claim 3 and further including: a stopsecured to the inwardly disposed surface of said intermediate wall, saidframe wall having a horizontal recess formed in its depending surfaceand extending through an arc of not more than 90* for receiving saidstop and limiting the rotative movement of said intermediate wall withrespect to said frame.